How to resolve AdBlock issue? Letters to the Editor Nov. 20
- Details
- Published: Friday, 20 November 2020 08:55
Health and safety first
NICHOLAS OATWAY — Ojai
Put human health and safety first! Sound like a good idea … a natural adult response?
Then why don’t we do it? Why do we turn a blind eye to the continuous use of toxic-chemical spraying in our beautiful green valley? OK! The “green” is a plus; we love the green maintained by our hard-working farmer/neighbors... but I don’t love the downside — regular spraying of toxic chemicals floating, drifting and landing wherever … on residential doorsteps and backyard patios, on grassy school playgrounds and public parks.
If we can’t get up to care for ourselves, what about our children? We can put our kids first, right? Let's speak up for the kids. Or if we can’t get our adult parent going, maybe there’s a kid among us who’s moved to speak up from his or her own wonderful sense of urgency.
The evidence is clear: Toxic chemicals used in the valley’s agriculture industry negatively affect human health, over time reducing our capacity to resist disease, slowly downgrading our natural immunity. These toxic chemicals accumulate in our bodies, in the earth and accumulate to a far greater extent in our children's bodies. These same toxic elements seeping through the ground float into and contaminate our natural underground water systems.
After seven years, having moved back to Ojai, I became suddenly very sick with third-stage Hodgkins’ lymphoma cancer. Thankfully, I recovered fairly quickIy; to this day, many years later, I use much of the same detoxing and diet protocol I used to get well. I live with citrus groves on three sides. Spraying goes on several times a year. A couple of years ago, our dear pet, Moses the cat, went quickly downhill and died shortly after being outside while a neighbor’s grove was being sprayed.
Some time ago, on my way to town, I spotted the familiar plastic toxic barrel hooked behind a tractor, the driver spraying his toxic mist beside the road into a large lemon grove. Across the street, children in full playtime mode were running about at San Antonio Elementary School. I notified the school and never heard back. I’m not sure whether the spraying continues opposite the school. I hope not.
But take heart! Are you on board? “Human health and safety first.” A great idea right? Here’s what you can do:
1. Test: We need to know where our natural immunity stands. Have our schools test our children’s blood; test our own blood. Test with some regularity that makes sense. The tests are for particular substances, toxic elements, salts, configurations. I’m not a doctor. For our full natural adult response, it’s going to take a little work. We may be pleasantly surprised; if not, we need to know what we’re up against.
2. Have our local government authority push on the county and state at all levels effecting the maintenance of the valley’s agriculture to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals and, at the same time, promote and support alternative methods of growing healthy successful agriculture for Ojai Valley. To take more heart, listen, learn and watch Ojai's own brilliant documentary, “Kiss the Ground,” produced and directed by Rebecca and Josh Tickell. Tap into Patty Pagaling and her group, “Transition to Organics.” She has for years promoted health and safety first with her own natural adult response opposing the use of toxic chemicals in Ojai.
3. Write to the paper about your own experience.
4. Look up the little town that could, that did it, that kicked out toxic chemicals for good. Look up Hudson, Quebec, and Dr. June Irwin who asked the first questions, who started the first conversations. Find and watch a 16-minute video with Dr. June and others. If you love it, you’ll know you’re in the flow, you’re ready to roll.
5. Enjoy and thanks for listening.
Stop the virtue-signaling
PAUL EBERT and MAELYN EBERT — Ojai
Re: Councilman William Weirick’s Nov. 13 Op-Ed: “Ojai’s reach code fails the science test”:
Kudos to Councilman Weirick for explaining the background on the adoption of the new all-electric reach code change, and pointing out the difference between scientism and science. Activists brilliantly use metaphoric language to describe complex issues to befuddle the average person who generally does not have time to understand the underlying facts and therefore just lets things happen.
As Councilwoman Suza Francina pointed out, the “well better-educated public” attended the virtual meeting and expressed their support for the change. You have to be “better educated” to assert that power lines are more resilient in storms than gas pipes 4 feet underground, and to ignore the fact that 43% of power generation for California is provided by natural gas power plants.
A comparison between a typical SCE bill and a power company in Idaho shows the impact of the Green Power movement. We are paying between 21 and 33 cents per KWHr, plus fees (including a fee for dismantling highly efficient nuclear plants) and a newly created “high usage charge.” Idaho residents pay only 8.6 cents/KWHr because in the 1920s their leaders chose to develop highly efficient hydropower by building dams, instead of high-speed trains to nowhere and fish ladders.
Most of the “Climate Emergency Mobilization Committee” members are too young to remember the “Gold Medallion” home building craze of the ’60s and ’70s, when great marketing sold millions of all-electric homes to the gullible public. Within a few years, people realized that electric rates were rising rapidly; consumers soon relegated their shiny electric appliances and heaters to the dump, in favor of far more cost-effective natural-gas appliances, even with the added expense of installing gas connections into their existing houses.
Perhaps it would be better for the council members to redirect their attention to critical city needs, and stop spending staff time and taxpayer money virtue-signaling on environmental issues.
Letters to the Editor Nov. 13
- Details
- Published: Friday, 13 November 2020 08:49
Hello, high taxes
JEFF KETELSEN — Ojai
"California's got the most of them, boy, they got a host of them."
THEY GOT THE FLAKES!
Letters to the Editor Nov. 6
- Details
- Published: Friday, 06 November 2020 09:01
Put reach codes to a vote
CHRISTINE GOLDEN, Ojai
In regard to the proposed reach code ban on new natural gas pipelines in the city of Ojai, I’ve now done a little research on electric vs. gas, natural gas fracking, and how other cities have handled banning the installation of any new gas lines. What I’ve come away with is how complex this issue is.
Letters to the Editor Oct. 30
- Details
- Published: Friday, 30 October 2020 11:44
Yes on Measure K: Great investment
KARA LAKES — Ojai
I’ve carefully reviewed Measure K, the Ojai public schools improvement measure, and believe it is so important to vote Yes. Why? Because we are investing in our community’s most important assets, our children and the schools they attend. Measure K is needed, will benefit our kids, and is affordable for all. Please join me in voting Yes on Measure K.
Letters to the Editor Oct. 23
- Details
- Published: Friday, 23 October 2020 09:02
Safe Halloween
RUTH COOPER, Ojai
Holidays are important for adults and kids alike, to gather, to celebrate, and to have fun. This Halloween I am encouraging everyone who lives in a neighborhood where trick-or-treating usually happens to sit outside and put candy out on a table, single pieces spaced out, rather than in a bowl, and spend the evening greeting the kids and enjoying the costumes. We can do this while practicing social distancing. The kids need this, and I think the adults do, too!
Letters to the Editor Oct. 16
- Details
- Published: Friday, 16 October 2020 11:19
No to all-electric Ojai
ANGELO SPANDRIO, Ojai
I respectfully request that we exercise caution in moving ahead with the concept of changing the city’s building code to require all new buildings to be all-electric with no natural gas. Adding to the California electric grid presents problems of its own since the current capability of the grid is marginal at best if you recall the rolling blackouts earlier this year. Chances are petroleum-based, and perhaps coal-based energy generation will be used to make up any future shortages occurring in our grid. Solar and wind energy generation have their limitations and are a minor contributor to our current energy generation.
Letters to the Editor Oct. 9
- Details
- Published: Friday, 09 October 2020 10:20
What is a Reach Code and why does Ojai need one?
— Ojai Climate Emergency Mobilization Committee:
MICHELLE ELLISON, BRIAN HOLLY, JIM SELMAN, STEVE COLOME, PHIL WHITE
On next week’s agenda for the Ojai City Council is consideration of changes to the city’s building
code requiring new buildings to be all-electric, with no natural gas. This “Reach Code” change
addresses climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from burning natural gas. The
change would not affect existing buildings.
Letters to the Editor Oct. 2
- Details
- Published: Friday, 02 October 2020 01:44
No on Measure K:
OUSD bond
BOB DADDI — Ojai
Since 1997, Ojai Unified School District has steadily been losing attendance from a high of 4,772 to less than half that number today. We have struggled with too many failed ideas and costly studies predicting growth, and they have all been proved wrong.
Letters to the Editor Sept. 25
- Details
- Published: Friday, 25 September 2020 09:19
Double subscriptions!
MICHAEL ESTWANIK, Ojai
A reader sent the following note with his subscription payment:
I am doing this after reading Laura's very well-written and convincing article about freedom of the press in last Friday’s issue (Sept. 18). And I convinced my roommate/friend to also subscribe, so we will now be getting two issues each week!
Letters to the Editor Sept. 18
- Details
- Published: Friday, 18 September 2020 10:26
Responsibility, right to vote
TERESA CAMARILLO, Oak View
Now is the time for all of us to stand up and be participating Americans. It is no longer possible to sit back and believe someone else will make good decisions for us.
The key here is in the word “participating.” Webster defines this as “taking part in,” which does not allow for curiously observing or simply sharing in the results.
Letters to the Editor Sept. 11
- Details
- Published: Friday, 11 September 2020 09:04
Housing, business key to Ojai success
BOB WARD, Ojai
It is time we stopped paying lip service to the importance of housing and begin implementing policies that actually encourage building new high-density housing within the Ojai city limits. New housing and more business development could greatly contribute to a thriving downtown, which is a key piece to our quality of life.